Donor Conception for Life

This book is about the psychological experiences of women and men who have used donor conception to create their families. The 2005 amendment to legislation in the UK gives donor-conceived young people the right to identify information concerning their origins when they reach the age of eighteen. Genetic links between the donors' families and recipient families is creating new patterns of relationships with significant psychological implications.The authors in this book offer accounts of their diverse clinical, research and personal experiences. They describe the challenge of powerful conscious and unconscious fantasies that can be aroused and how these may re-awaken early anxieties and developmental struggles. The way these emotional challenges are negotiated is likely to be reflected in how parents talk with children about their donor origins.This thought-provoking book addresses people who are involved both personally and professionally in the field of donor conception. It will be of help to those who have direct experience of donor-assisted conception or are contemplating using it to create a family. Friends or relatives wishing to understand more about the process may also find this book informative. For many, the journey to becoming a donor-assisted parent can still feel a lonely one and the descriptions of the personal experiences of others referred to in the book are supportive and illuminating. For clinicians and researchers of all kinds who work with infertility, assisted reproductive technologies and donor conception, this book offers a deeper understanding of those whose lives have been affected by donor conception.